Minutes before the halftime whistle, head coach Stimack received a red card for dissent after a heated altercation with several players in the Pakistan camp. Indian head coach Stimack was visibly upset after Pakistan was given the right to throw in the ball in the 45th minute of the first half. Stimak was penalized for blocking Pakistan’s throw-in, which ended up causing a serious fight between the two teams.
While India head coach Stimak was suspended, Sandesh Jingana and Rahis Nabi received yellow cards after a nasty incident. Marcelo Schroeder Costa, goalkeepers coach for the Pakistan men’s national team, headbutted a member of the coaching staff during a scuffle. The ugly incident involving members of the Pakistani and Indian camps sparked a massive debate on social media.
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Chhetri scores hat-trick in Indo-Pak showdown
Speaking more about the match, India’s Chhetri team scored two early goals in the first half to justify their title as favorites in the eventful Indo-Pak meeting at Kanterawa Stadium. Charismatic Indian striker Chhetri scored the first two goals of the match and put the Indian team in the lead. After a goal in the first half, the veteran striker Chhetri scored a hat trick in the 74th minute of the game.
India’s 2023 SAFF Championship opener was also the first appearance for the Blues since 2017. Back then, India beat Macau 2-0 to secure a spot in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. The Indian hosts have been placed in Group A along with Pakistan, Nepal and Kuwait, while Maldives, Lebanon, Bangladesh and Bhutan have been placed in Group B of the 2023 AFF Championship. Chhetri’s team will face Team Nepal in the second match of Group A on Saturday.
